Audrey walked out of the room in a daze. She nodded mutely to the doctor, her mind a swirl of thoughts and despair. She would be 21 in a few months, old for a combat Witch. Magic seemed to diminish with age and no one could explain why. It just seemed to be like one of those immutable laws of magic. Witches who couldn't summon the magic to create effective shields in combat were casualties waiting to happen. The ones who survived to her age had been honorably discharged with full pension and benefits at their last rank.
Are they going to discharge me? Is that why I was promoted? she thought miserably. The Air Force, flying and fighting was her life, ever since she was selected for primary flight school when she was 10. What was she going to do with the rest of her life? Audrey left the clinic, dark thoughts, despair and fear swirling through her mind and imagination.
Audrey was never sure how she got back to her room. She mechanically stripped off her uniform and undid her hair, letting it fall down below her shoulders. She headed to the shower, looking forward to a long luxurious hot shower. She scrubbed herself so vigorously, her skin turned pink between her freckles. She thoroughly shampooed and conditioned her hair, and finished up by scrubbing her face. She dried off, and got dressed, picking out a blue bra, her squadron T-shirt and a pair of blue bikini cut shorts. She dried her hair and then turned to the mirror on the wall as she started brushing it out. As she brushed her hair, she smiled at the reflection of herself. Her hair was glorious, her one claim to beauty. It was a lustrous red with golden highlights, and it was rich, full and thick.
The same couldn't be said of her face. It was triangular, with high cheekbones, a long aquiline nose, and a pointed chin all of which were sprinkled with freckles that she hated. It made her look much younger than she actually was, especially with her big green eyes. She grimaced again at her face, finished brushing out her hair, and then tied it back in a ponytail with a blue ribbon. She slipped her feet into a pair of sandals, picked up her purse and left her room.
Arriving at the Officer's Club, the question occurred to Audrey. Dinner or Drinks? It was seafood night in the dining room, something she normally wouldn't miss, especially since they were serving sautéed prawns and grilled halibut, two of her favorites. But today had been a really fucked day, so she headed into the lounge. The doorman just nodded to her. The Air Force had different regulations for the Witches in many areas. One was that any Witch who was a commissioned officer could go into the lounge area of any Officer's Club. Those under 16 had to be accompanied at all times by one over 18. Those under 14 were not allowed entrance under any circumstances.
Taking a seat at the bar, Audrey waved at the bartender. A big burly man with thinning grey hair and a craggy face smiled at her, and said, "What'll it be, Captain? You still celebrating?"
Audrey sighed, "Not today, Jack. Things went really FUBAR. Give me a double Wild Turkey, straight."
The bartender gave her a skeptical look as he poured the drink. "You sure about this, Captain? I always worry about you flyers." He said.
Audrey shook her head. "Don't worry, Jack. I'm not on the flight schedule and I probably won't be for a while." She said, bitterly.
She tossed back the drink in one gulp. The fire of the bourbon burned its way from her tongue to her stomach, causing her to cough twice. Her head started floating slightly above her neck, the room tilted precariously, and the warmth reached her fingertips and toes. Her mind fogged up slightly, dulling the pain, despair and fear. This is what she needed now, she thought.
A cheery voice from the front of the lounge shouted, "Yo, Boings!" Audrey cursed under her breath. She hated that nickname, which had followed her from Advanced Flight School. That was the year she grew 10 inches, and her figure blossomed, especially her chest. It got so bad that she couldn't button her shirts properly. One of her flight instructors marched her to the base exchange, where she made sure Audrey was properly fitted with the right size bras and shirts. This was followed by teasing and jokes about air resistance and weight distribution. Amidst all this, someone had tagged her with the nickname "Boing Boing" or "Boings" for short. She REALLY hated it.
Audrey turned around to see Mary Ann Williams, the best friend she had since Primary Flight School. Mary Ann was short, blonde and chunky. Her chest was almost as big as Audrey's, which is why she got tagged with the nickname "Juggs" "What's happenin', Juggs? She slurred slightly.
"Heard you had your flight physical today. How'd it go?" Mary Ann asked in a breezy tone.
Audrey bowed her head, tears trickling down her face. In a low voice, she said "I passed the physical part easy. I fucked up the magic part. I failed the shield test really badly. Doc's gonna ground me permanently, and then the Air Force is going to discharge me and cut me loose." She choked, as she started sobbing quietly.
"That test is Bullshit! It doesn't come close to anything we've faced in real life! I'm certain you can protest the test results to General Cassidy, and keep flying!" Mary Ann exploded.
Audrey sobbed harder. When she managed to pull some of her composure together, she found a napkin and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She looked sadly at her best friend and said quietly. "Thanks, Juggs, but it isn't going to change anything. You know the Doc has always done her best to keep witches flying as long as she can. If she's going to ground me, it means it's really over. I'm almost 21, and we know that's old for a flying Witch. If it isn't this physical, it'll be the next one or the one after that. I just don't know what to do. The Air Force, flying and fighting is all I know, and all I've been good at. What am I supposed to do? Settle down and become someone's wife and mother?" Turning to Jack, she said, "Give me another, Jack! I'm not numb enough to be drunk yet!"